Jim_D

Thanks for your input folks. Now it's back together and greased again I think it's slightly better than it was to start with. Happy to leave as-is now I know it's basically normal! Thanks again.

Small video attached, if it of any use to see what I'm talking about. I doubt the clicking will cause a problem, now I know its not causing undue wear. Maybe a bit annoying! Video starts with the 'tighter' set up, then I flipped the mount and the latter half shows the more obvious clicking. Movie002.mp4

It is brushless. I am sure the original clicking is the pinion and spur, though. When turned slowly the motor/pinion skips forward as it goes from magnet to magnet inside the motor and the pinion teeth slap the spur teeth as it skips forward. Don't know how else to describe it! Now they are tighter together they can never slap as they are so tightly meshed. I will try and get a video later when I take it apart again.

OK. I'll swap it back again before I use it. I guess I could also file a tiny bit off the plastic motor mount to allow it to move away from the spur a little. The pinion will presumably push itself off the spur as far as it can go and create the gap.

Evening all... Next issue I have with our new toy then! I bought my daughter the above car. It makes a very obvious clicking noise when moving which seems to be the metal pinion and spur gear teeth 'clapping' together when they turn. It would seem they are meshing together a bit too loosely. A Google search reveals others with a similar problem, and one solution was to flip over the motor mounting plate (not sure what it's called) with no explanation how this helps, but it does. It seems to me it's just a difference in the machining of the plastic plate, so when flipped over it nestles into its groove a little better and tightens the gap between pinion and spur. However, I now think it might be too tight, but I'm not sure as I have zero experience. Very scientifically... If I push the car along the floor I can only propel in a couple of feet before it stops. It's less than half the distance I can push our brushed/plastic pinion Tracer. It seems to drive OK when I tested it round the driveway. Am I better off flipping the mount back and having the clicking, or will it be OK being a little tighter? Will the metal gears wear themselves in? Shoild I file down the pinion? Am i going to wear out the motor trying to push the tighter gears round?! Is there another solution?! Do I just have to put up with this quirk of a non-adjustable motor mount? Fyi, I have also packed grease into the pinion/spur housing for the most lube I can get. Any help greatly appreciated!

Hello folks... Quick question that I can't find a definitive answer for if you can help. It's probably simple, I have no idea! We have a brushed Tracer with standard 800mah and larger 1500mah batteries. We have just bought a brushless HBX 16889a pro with the one standard lipo battery. From what I understand, it's not a great idea to use the lipo battery in the brushed car as it could cause rapid wear of the motor or worse. But can I use the li-ion batteries in the brushless car? Will it suffer in any way other than perhaps lacking a bit of punch? Thank you!

Thanks Alex. Not really sure on the budget, maybe £150 all in with charger and spare battery(ies). Is the modified battery tray a good idea with li-ion you think? Additional weight a bit too high up? What would I need to fit battery wise to get an hour out of it?

Hello all... I'm new to the forum and found it whilst looking for info on a first rc car for my 10yo son. It looks like I'll be buying a Tracer. What I'm unsure about is how interested he really is or whether the car will sit there for a while between uses. That said, I'm worried going for the brushless/lipo version will be a bad idea. At least with the brushed/lion version it can sit there fully charged for when he decides he wants a run with it, and with an additional 1500mah battery he should have a decent run time with it? I'm guessing about 30mins? I might be way off! I was looking at the HBX Pro as well but we've left it a bit late for a birthday delivery from China now I think. That would still leave me with the battery life/use issue. Though I know everclear does a battery tray modification which looks great (and he has kindly offered to contact him on this.). I guess I'm after help deciding what to buy! Anyone else have similar queries on buying their first car? Many thanks!

The more I read about it the more I worry that getting lipo batteries might be asking for trouble for a first rc. I can see the car being forgotten about for a week, where at least li-ion batteries can sit there charged and ready to go without faffing about with storage charge and keeping them in a fire proof box! Perhaps he will be better off with the brushed version of the Tracer until he knows he wants to play with it more and more and he can consider an upgraded version. If I get a longer life battery (1500mah) that should give him a decent play time , along with the 800 it comes with, I guess. Question: can the brushless Tracer run on a li-ion or are they lipo only?

Hello all... I'm new to the forum and found it while looking for info on the FTX Tracer. I may have been swayed towards the HBX Pro now! Does anyone have any idea how long delivery might take to the UK? And is everclear's battery tray still available to purchase anywhere? I'm keen to add a little more run time with a bigger battery. Thanks!